UWI lecturers maintain 'no exam' stance over salary impasse

University of the West Indies lecturers are standing by their intention to withhold grades and exam papers after they were told there is no update on wage negotiations with Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

The lecturers, led by West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) president Dr Indira Rampersad, protested last week as they demanded more than the two percent offered by the government.

They continued their protest this week, seeking an update from campus principal Prof Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, on the state of negotiations.

However, Belle-Antoine was absent and the lecturers were told by campus registrar Dr Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill that there is no update yet.

“What the principal said last week still holds. We are still waiting to get further clarification with respect to the different positions and so unfortunately we have nothing new to add.”

Rampersad noted that previous education ministers had been engaged seamlessly and asked De Four-Gill if UWI’s management had directly engaged Gadsby-Dolly in discussions.

De Four-Gill said, “Currently they are involved in budget debates but she has been engaging and in constant communication. We have also been providing information with respect to questions about UWI in terms of finances.”

Rampersad expressed displeasure with the lack of progress in negotiations.

“This protracted and prolonged discussion is not cutting it for us. My members are concerned that they can’t afford to eat, buy homes, pay for rent and transportation or fuel. Even electricity is going to go up so everything else will go up.”

De Four-Gill sought to appease the lecturers and reiterated that talks are ongoing.

“The principal is continuing to engage with the government. We do hope that good sense prevails.”

Rampersad called on the government to “exercise their good sense” as she labelled the two percent wage increase offer as “insulting.” She suggested that the government should bear the responsibility of the increased costs adding that she hopes there is no expectation UWI should make cuts to fund the salary increases.

“It is ludicrous to expect a university that was established for the sole purpose of education and development of the region, to fund back pay and salary increases. This is a non-profit entity, not a business enterprise or a conglomerate. Moreover UWI management is continually lamenting the cuts. They have trimmed the fat and now are down to muscle.”

De Four-Gill said the university has developed a contingency plan for student exams in case negotiations are unable to be settled before exams begin.

“We’ve always had contingency plans and so we would, as responsible leaders, put some sort of contingency plan in place. However we really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The wage negotiations come one year after the government announced a ten per cent reduction in funding for the St Augustine campus.

Last June, Gadsby-Dolly and Finance Minister Colm Imbert revealed that the government planned to reduce its annual direct contribution from $500 million a year to $450 million.

They explained that funding for the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE) also costs the state an additional $200 million.

Imbert said a report had suggested UWI may have “overextended itself.”

"It has grown to become a huge organisation. But, in doing that, growing at such a rapid pace, it outgrew its ability to finance itself.”